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- Imposter syndrome is common, even among highly successful leaders, and often intensifies with seniority.
- Self-doubt can be a useful signal if managed, but it becomes limiting when it prevents risk taking or participation.
- Supportive culture, coaching and structured self-reflection help leaders to embrace confidence while navigating ambiguity.
Even the most accomplished leaders can feel like they don’t belong. Imposter syndrome doesn’t disappear with success, it often intensifies, particularly in high-stakes roles where judgement matters more than certainty.
As COO of Facebook/Meta, Sheryl Sandberg was one of the most powerful women in tech. Yet, according to her book Lean In, there were days she woke up feeling like a fraud. That’s the paradox of imposter syndrome: the higher you climb, the more you worry you don’t belong there – and you’re about to be found out.
“Research suggests that 60-70 per cent of high-achieving people experience imposter syndrome and it appears to intensify with experience and seniority,” says Professor Sarah Kelly OAM, executive director of the QUT Leadership Institute and an experienced chair and non-executive director.
“Leaders can feel as though they’re guessing when they navigate complex decision-making environments when the issue is not their own competency, but the complexity of the problems, incomplete information or the fact that there may not be a single right answer.”
Self-doubt and lack of confidence can creep in when leaders move into roles that attract more intense scrutiny, increase reputational risk and judgement is more relevant than expertise.
“This can be particularly pronounced in a new role where peers have more experience in your area,” says Kelly.
Fear of failure
Fear of failure can become overwhelming if you believe even the simplest mistake could expose your deception.
“There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with having a fear of failure,” says Christine Khor, CEO, founder and lead coach at Peeplcoach. “It’s an important aspect of healthy vigilance. For instance, it’s why you do due diligence on a company before you take on a new role. It’s only negative when it becomes limiting, say by preventing you from applying for the role in the first place or avoiding the kinds of risks fundamental to good leadership.”
Despite its name, imposter syndrome is not a clinical diagnosis. However, some experts are concerned using the label could pathologise normal self-doubt.
“We rarely use the term in our coaching practice,” says Khor. “We prefer to focus on the concept of leading with confidence and embracing the fact that constructive self-doubt is critical for improved performance. As a leader, you should always be wondering whether you can do something differently, what you can learn from other people and how you can continue to build your skills.”
Lynn Gribble, an associate professor at UNSW Business School in Sydney, finds the label can help to reassure someone experiencing the feelings for the first time that they’re not alone.
“The trouble starts if they then hide behind the label or use it as an excuse for limiting their behaviour,” she says.
If it stops a board member from speaking out, Gribble suggests they’re sitting at the wrong table.
“Before you join any board, you need to think seriously about whether you have the experience, knowledge and passion that will bring value to the organisation. If you’re not confident about that, why would you apply for the role?”
More common in women
Much of the research done on this topic suggests women are 20-30 per cent more likely to report persistent imposter feelings than men. Are women more vulnerable, or simply more willing to share their feelings?
“I’d say it’s both,” says Khor. “In our coaching sessions, men also talk about lack of confidence or self-doubt, but they don’t see themselves as an imposter and they don’t share how they feel with everyone around them. You would also expect women to feel 'less than' more often, because they’re more likely to have been socialised to feel inferior to men or to others. I’m Chinese, and I was brought up with a father who believed daughters are less important than sons.”
“My daughter’s school insisted we mark Father’s Day with a breakfast,” says Gribble. “The thinking was that while events involving mothers can take place during the day, men have important jobs they need to get to. Women have to look out for the subtle ways they can be made to feel like an imposter when it’s an issue of calling out a behaviour.”
Ways to manage imposter syndrome
It’s common for people in competitive environments to compare themselves with others.
“Organisations can help keep that in perspective by building a supportive culture for leaders as they transition to new roles and new teams,” says Kelly.
“This can include positive feedback, education, coaching and mentoring from their peers. Leadership is also inherently ambiguous and subject to rapid change and, if you’re constantly challenging yourself, you’re bound to experience some self-doubt. Promotion, recognition and inclusion can create a culture that encourages experimentation and failing fast – treating mistakes as learning rather than as proof you’re not good enough.”
It can help to remember the most conscientious leaders experience imposter syndrome most frequently.
“The key is to find the right structural and psychological tools to keep it in check so it doesn’t adversely affect performance,” says Kelly.
The tool most commonly recommended is based on a precept of cognitive behavioural therapy – talk sense to yourself.
“That means seeing your self-doubting thought for what it is, checking it against the evidence and replacing it with more realistic thinking and solutions to overcome the risks and doubts,” says Khor. “You need to accept that things will go wrong, but that’s not necessarily your fault. Sometimes things just happen – a project fails, someone else was promoted, or you didn't get the job you wanted. It doesn’t mean you’re an imposter, a failure or not enough.”
Kelly believes you shouldn’t hesitate to accept leadership roles when they’re offered.
“You’re being offered a place at the table because you have the capability and have been noticed for your impact as a leader,” she says. “Stay humble, but lead with confidence and optimism. Whenever doubt sneaks in – and it will – put it to bed with some positive self-talk. If not you, then who, and if not now, then when?
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